Orphan Train: A Novel

Penobscot Indian Molly Ayer is close to "aging out" out of the foster care system. A community-service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping Molly out of juvie and worse.... As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly learns that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance.

Where does Orphan Train rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is a favorite of all the books in my audible library! Top 5 for sure

What did you like best about this story?

I had previously read The Chaperone which touched on the orphan trains that were utilized in the early 20th century and this book gave even more insight into the effects this had on the children and families involved. Apparently public services have always struggled to do right by those children who need a loving home!

Which character – as performed by Jessica Almasy and Suzanne Toren – was your favorite?

The old woman. She went through so much and had to fight all of her young life but never became bitter or cynical.

If you could take any character from Orphan Train out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Definitely the old woman! Her history, her perspective, and her experiences would be amazing to hear, as well as what she learned from all of them.

The Other Queen

New York Times best-selling author Philippa Gregory presents a new and unique view of one of history's most intriguing, romantic, and maddening heroines. Biographers often neglect the captive years of Mary Queen of Scots, who trusted Queen Elizabeth's promise of sanctuary when she fled from rebels in Scotland and then found herself imprisoned as the "guest" of George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury and his indomitable wife, Bess of Hardwick.

What could Philippa Gregory have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I have really enjoyed all of Philippa Gregory's books in the Tudor series and leading up to this book but this one was disappointing from the beginning. I had a hard time figuring out who was who and getting back into the storyline with this book.

What didn’t you like about the narrators’s performance?

One of the narrators, I believe the one for Mary, was ok, but the male narrator was obnoxious to the point of having to turn the book off!

The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum

Temple Grandin teaches listeners the science of the autistic brain, and with it the history and sociology of autism. By being autistic--by being able to look from the inside out and from the outside in--the author's insights are not just unique, they're groundbreaking. According to Temple, our understanding of autism has been perhaps fundamentally wrong for the past 70 years.

Absolutely! There is a huge difference between learning about autism from the perspective of researchers and from the point of view of a person actually on the spectrum. Temple Grandin provides insight that makes the diagnosis understandable and more human. She not only has experienced autism herself but she is so interested in the anatomy, the most recent developments, and how the diagnosis varies from one person to another. Her passion alone makes the book interesting.

What did you like best about this story?

It's a good balance between the latest research and technical information regarding autism as well as explanation of how the research and understanding relates to her personal experience and experiences of others she has met with autism.

Along Came a Spider

Along Came a Spider first introduced Alex Cross, the brilliant homicide detective. When the daughter of a Hollywood actress and the son of the Secretary of the Treasury are kidnapped, Cross and the Secret Service are pitted against Gary Soneji, a murderous serial kidnapper who wants to commit the crime of the century.

The Other Boleyn Girl

When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of 14, she catches the eye of Henry VIII. Dazzled by the king, Mary falls in love with both the golden prince and her growing role as an unofficial queen. However, she soon realizes just how much she is a pawn in her family's ambitious plots when the king's interest begins to wane and she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her powerfully ambitious sister, Anne Boleyn.

White Queen

They ruled England before the Tudors, and now internationally best-selling author Philippa Gregory brings the Plantagenets to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women.

What made the experience of listening to White Queen the most enjoyable?

I had never been very interested in this time period but the author's use of her factual knowledge as well as fiction to fill in the gaps that you learn a lot while enjoying a story with characters you could relate to.

What did you like best about this story?

The historical accuracy.

Who was the most memorable character of White Queen and why?

Elizabeth Woodville, despite the controversy that surrounded her at the time, becomes very endearing and you can't help but root for her.

Any additional comments?

Once you start this book, it's impossible not to race through all of Phillipa Gregory's books!

Danger to Self: On the Front Line with an ER Psychiatrist

The psychiatric emergency room, a fast-paced combat zone with pressure to match, thrusts its medical providers into the outland of human experience where they must respond rapidly and decisively in spite of uncertainty and, very often, danger. In this lively first-person narrative, Paul R. Linde takes listeners behind the scenes at an urban psychiatric emergency room, with all its chaos and pathos, where we witness mental health professionals doing their best to alleviate suffering.

Despite how stressful the author's position is and how easy it is to burn out in his field, he still cares deeply for his patients and it shows in how he speaks about his career.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Danger to Self?

His description of a homeless man trying to be polite in turning down an inpatient treatment program for alcoholism. He is perceptive in reading the man's cues and doesn't become frustrated when the patient refuses treatment.

Between Good and Evil: A Master Profiler's Hunt for Society's Most Violent Predators

No one gets closer to evil than a criminal profiler, trained to penetrate the hearts and minds of society's most vicious psychopaths. And no one is a more towering figure in the world of criminal profilers than Roger L. Depue. Chief of the FBI Behavioral Science Unit at a time when its innovative work first came to prominence, he headed a renowned team of mind hunters that included John Douglas, Robert Ressler, and Roy Hazelwood.

I expected this book to be more about the cases he worked on and the overall experience. Instead, he writes about how his career developed and various roles he played. There is some information about the actual work he did, but it just wasn't very interesting.

Has Between Good and Evil turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not necessarily, I'll just be more cautious in reading the summaries before purchasing.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

My Stroke of Insight

In My Stroke of Insight, Taylor shares her unique perspective on the brain and its capacity for recovery, and the sense of omniscient understanding she gained from this unusual and inspiring voyage out of the abyss of a wounded brain. It would take eight years for Taylor to heal completely. Because of her knowledge of how the brain works, her respect for the cells composing her human form, and most of all an amazing mother, Taylor completely repaired her mind and recalibrated her understanding of the world.

As an occupational therapist, the book gave me a look into the experience of a stroke that most patients can not provide as they are experiencing or initially recovering. The fact that she not only had the background but paid attention throughout her experience and managed to write it all down is mind blowing. Considering that her primary areas of difficulty were language and more complex thought, she is an inspiration.

What other book might you compare My Stroke of Insight to and why?

I Am the Central Park Jogger - about a woman who survives a brutal attack and documents her rehabilitation. Again, getting perspective on recovery and survival is not only interesting to follow but a learning opportunity.

What does Jill Bolte Taylor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The fact that she read it herself after experiencing such a significant brain bleed never ceased to amaze me. But she also can go into minute detail of the functions of the brain and how this all comes together and plays out in functional ability....She made me able to further understand all of the processes and anatomy on such a deeper level than before. And after a stroke!

Monkey Mind: A Memoir of Anxiety

In the insightful narrative tradition of Oliver Sacks, Monkey Mind is an uplifting, smart, and very funny memoir of life with anxiety - America’s most common psychological complaint. We all think we know what being anxious feels like - it is the instinct that made us run from wolves in the prehistoric age and pushes us to perform in the modern one - but for forty million American adults, anxiety is an insidious condition that defines daily life. Yet no popular memoir has been written about that experience - until now.

As someone with anxiety, I was hoping for some good insight into dealing with anxiety and how other people have faced theirs but the author is too close to the topic. His descriptions of his anxiety seem forced. His mother was a therapist so it's almost like he was forced into feeling as if there must be something wrong with him. He had too much access to information regarding various mental illness and he uses that to try to take his quirks too a level beyond to write a book. Almost sounds like he just wants attention.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Not sure but I hope it will be better than this!

How could the performance have been better?

Read a better book

What character would you cut from Monkey Mind?

The author. He really just came across as a narcissist who wanted attention for having anxiety, but his anxiety did not come across as real

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